MOUNT VERNON, IL, USA
N923L
DOUGLAS DC-9-32
KANSAS CITY ARTCC (ZKC) HAD CLEARED OZARK FLT 709 (A DC-9, N923L) TO CRUISE AT FL270. WHILE PROCEEDING ESE NEAR THE EDGEOF THE ZKC AREA, THE DC-9 CONVERGED ON ZORRO 11 (A FLT OF 3 F-4'S). THE F-4'S HAD BEEN CLEARED BY INDIANAPLOLIS ARTCC (ZID) TO PROCEED WESTBOUND AT FL260 TO RENDESVOUS WITH A KC-135 TANKER (SHAKE 81) TO REFUEL ON AERIAL REFUELING ROUTE AR110W. THE BEGINNING OF AR110W WAS IN THE ZID AREA; FROM THERE IT CONTINUED WESTBOUND INTO THE ZKC AREA. THE TANKER WASORBITING UNDER CONTROL OF ZKC & WAS CLEARED TO MAINTAIN BLOCK ALT FL260 TO FL290. ZID CLEARED THE F-4'S TO THE TANKER FREQ WITHOUT HANDING THEM OFF TO ZKC & WITHOUT OBTAINING APPROVAL FROM EITHER ZKC OR THE TANKER. AFTER ESTABLISHING RADIO CONTACT, THE TANKER CREW INCORRECTLY CLEARED THE F-4'S TO CLIMB TO FL270. WHEN THE ZKC CONTROLLER REALIZED THE F-4'S & DC-9 WERE CONVERGING, HE TOLD THE DC-9 CREW TO IMMEDIATELY TURN LEFT. THE DC-9 CREW SAW THE F-4'S & TOOK EVASIVEACTION. ZID HAD NOT PROPERLY COORDINATED THE F-4S' POSITION & NONE OF THE PLTS WERE INFORMED OF CONFLICTING TRAFFIC.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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